Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland

The National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch was the deserving big winner at Sunday's presentation of the Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS), scooping prizes in four categories.

However, it's testament to the high standard of theatre being produced all over Scotland that this tremendous production didn't sweep the board.

Six other companies – including Dundee Rep, Glasgow's Citizens' Theatre and the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh – also picked up prizes.

Torben Betts took home Best New Play for The Unconquered, commissioned by Stellar Quines Theatre Company. Collecting the first award of the afternoon, the English playwright began his acceptance by apologising... 'for not being Scottish'.

Meg Fraser was awarded Best Female Performance for Tom Fool at the Citizens'. Collecting Best Male Performance for Fergus Lamont, Sandy Grierson paid tribute to his Communicado castmates, who lost out on Best Ensemble to the Black Watch squaddies.

Best Production for Children and Young People went to NTS Ensemble's Gobbo, Best Design went to Naomi Wilkinson and Bruno Poet for A Midsummer Night's Dream at Dundee Rep, and Robert Pettigrew collected Best Use of Music for Man of La Mancha at the Royal Lyceum.

Announcing Black Watch as best production, CATS convenor Robert Dawson Scott paid tribute to 'one of those shows that comes along very, very rarely, where everything works, where every judgement is right, and where the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. The backstage team behind the smash-hit show, which embarks on a US tour later this year, were acknowledged with the Best Technical award, and director John Tiffany was named Best Director.